Friday, August 12, 2016

If you like to watch:Diversity In Nature: Ecology Professor Drew Lanham On ‘Rules For The Black Birder’
The Pacific Northwest is known as a Mecca for bird watchers. Diverse habitats offer shelter for hundreds of species throughout the state. In summer, urban parks offer viewing of everything from osprey and bald eagles to chickadees and warblers, hummingbirds, owls and woodpeckers. But what if while pursuing that passion you felt out of place, because of the color of your skin? Wildlife ecologist and avid birder Drew Lanham uses satire to get people talking about it. His essay “9 Rules for the Black Bird Watcher” first appeared in Orion Magazine and was then adapted by BirdNote into a short YouTube video. It’s full of zingers such as, “Be prepared to be confused with the other black birder” and “Carry your binoculars — and three forms of identification — at all times” or “Don’t bird in a hoodie. Ever.” Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

DFO shutting down all salmon sports fishing on Lower Fraser to protect sockeye
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has taken the extraordinary measure of shutting down all sports salmon fishing on the Lower Fraser River because of a lower-than-anticipated return of sockeye. The closure of all recreational fishing for salmon — including Chinook and possibly Chum when they arrive later in the year — is taking place so that sockeye aren’t inadvertently caught while other salmon species are being fished. Anglers can still fish for trout, steelhead and sturgeon. The closure was to go into effect one hour after sunset Thursday until further notice. It covers the mouth of the Fraser River to the Alexandra Bridge south of Hell’s Gate in the Interior, a stretch of about 200 kilometres of river. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

The Blob That Cooked the Pacific
When a deadly patch of warm water shocked the West Coast, some feared it was a preview of our future oceans. Craig Welch reports. (National Geographic)

Tidal power technology rolls into Haida Gwaii shores
A Haida Gwaii company has developed a technology that may one day provide power to parts of Haida Gwaii by harnessing the energy from tides. Right now, the northern half of Haida Gwaii uses diesel to provide power to all homes and buildings. It's an expensive power source and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Clyde Greenough, business manager of Yourbrook Energy, says his company has developed a generator that is powered solely by the ocean's tide.. The technology harnesses the powerful pull of the tide to turn the blades of a pump that then pressurizes the water and sends it up an incline. Anna Dimoff reports. (CBC)

Nippon paper mill, cogeneration plant in Port Angeles for sale
The paper mill that has anchored Ediz Hook for 98 years is for sale. The Nippon Paper Industries USA plant and the company’s newly built biomass cogeneration plant west of downtown Port Angeles are being marketed for sale by PricewaterhouseCoopers Corporate Finance LLC in southwest British Columbia. There is no sign the mill, which employed 160 as of June 2015, would be closed, said City Manager Dan McKeen. (Port Angeles Daily News)

Skunk season arrives in Vancouver
In the wilds of Vancouver, perhaps no animal inspires more terror to walking pedestrians than the skunk. August is high season for the notoriously stinky black-and-white creatures, and many are being spotted around the Lower Mainland — especially in Vancouver's West End, West Vancouver and North Vancouver. "Now's the time of year that most of the baby skunks are starting to leave their mothers and become independent," said Janelle Vanderbeek, a wildlife hospital coordinator with the Wildlife Rescue Association in Burnaby. Roshini Nair reports. (CBC)

State wildlife staff kill two adult female wolves in Northeastern Washington
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff on Aug. 5 killed two adult female wolves from the Profanity Peak pack in Northeast Washington by shooting them from a helicopter. Wolves began recolonizing Washington about a decade ago, and this is the third time the department has removed some of them. The department director Jim Unsworth approved the killings earlier this month, after wolves were linked to cattle deaths. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Army Corps downplays value of prime farmland in Washington
The Army Corps of Engineers proposes to convert about 800 acres of prime farmland in Whatcom County to fish habitat, a loss of cropland the agency calls “insignificant,” but that farm groups say could threaten agriculture’s long-term survival in the state’s northwestern corner…. Government agencies have spent years reviewing hundreds of sites for the state-federal Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project. The corps has narrowed the project to converting 2,100 acres in Jefferson, Skagit and Whatcom counties into fish habitat, mainly by removing dikes. The largest project would breach dikes along the Nooksack and Lummi rivers in Whatcom County. The $260 million project would expose 1,800 acres to tides and rivers, including the 800 acres characterized by the corps as prime farmland. Dan Jenkins reports. (Capital Press)

If you like to listen: What’s in a namesake? The enigma of Chief Si’ahl
We know that the city of Seattle was named after a prominent Native American chief called Si’ahl. We have remnants of words of wisdom attributed to him. But in most ways, Seattleites have never known the legacy of their namesake. Writer and historian David Buerge has steeped himself in the history of the people who thrived in this region before explorers and pioneers arrived. His knowledge of what life was like here before it was “discovered” will likely surprise and fascinate you. David Buerge spoke with journalist and writer Knute Berger at Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum on August 3. (KUOW)

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Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482